Sew Powerful Purse #180 (2024)

Another purse made to donate to Sew Powerful Purse Project . This is my first attempt at using the circular attachment I bought for stitching decorative stitches on my sewing machine. I stitched some decorative stitches out on a white canvas material. After I was finished the white background was just too stark white! So I got out the fabric paint and painted the background, which the paint ended up on the stitched thread too 😬😢!!! The paint color is pretty, but the thread colors don't stand out as well as I would like. A good learning experience so that I will know what to do next time (I did stitch up some more flaps, but they haven't been sewn into purses yet). All in all it turned out good enough to donate. 

Painted flap with circular decorative stitches. Kind of fun to use that circular stitch attachment.

The full flap.

Batik purse body and little pumpkins for the lining. It's pumpkin time of year now too.

 I also stitched the strap in batik fabric with a ribbon down the center.

Back with a slip pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purses #177-179 (2024)

3 more purses made with scraps of batik fabrics for the flaps and batik exterior purse bodies and even the straps are batik fabric with ribbon sewn down the center of the straps.

Donating these 3 beauties to Sew Powerful.

They look like they are raising their arms up 😂😄!!!

Back sides all have pockets.

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Sew Powerful Purse #176 (2024)

I love using scraps, especially batik fabric scraps to make the Sew Powerful Purses. Here is another batik purse I made using batik scraps for the flap. This purse will keep a young girl in school when it is filled with monthly hygiene supplies for her. It has been proven that girls before they had the monthly needs were 10% behind the boys in test scores and with the supplies that allows them to stay in school instead of missing school each month, they are testing the same as the boys or even better! Help to keep the girls in school by supporting SewPowerful.org and making a donation, and/or make a purse or more to donate. Together we are Sew Powerful!

Happy Scrappy Flappy 😄!!!

On the back of the purse I added a slip pocket.

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Sew Powerful Purse #175 (2024)

Another purse in batik fabric completed for Sew Powerful (Purse Project).

Happy Scrappy Batik Flappy 😂! I love using my batik scraps to make the purse flaps. The sparkly snowflake-looking item in the center, I sewed on with thread by hand. It was actually taken from a hairpin that I removed. It was so pretty but my hair doesn't hold hairpins without them falling out. My daughter was getting rid of a few of these hairpins, so I took them to see if they might work in my hair, but they didn't, but they were easily removed from the hairpin, so I took them all off and this is the first one I used on a purse. It is quite secure and it added a nice bling to the flap.

Front of purse with slip pocket. 

Slip pocket added to the back of the purse.

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Sew Powerful Purse #174 (2024)

A good friend of mine passed away about 12 years ago or so. I cannot remember how long it really has been? I was fortunate to receive some of her fabric and this Hmong reverse appliqué piece was one of them. I had no idea what to use it for so it sat and sat for years. I came across it recently and decided it should be made into a purse flap for a sweet girl in Zambia to have. My friend would have loved that I used it for a purse as she was all for empowering women with education. She was a teacher herself for deaf students. So I think she would highly approve that I made this purse to give to a girl to help her stay in school all year because it will be filled with her monthly hygiene needs. 

This purse was made with love by me and in memory of my friend, Gloria. 

This style of reverse appliqué is made by the Hmong people who mainly reside in Laos and Thailand now. All handstitched, it is truly a work of art.

Look at how intricate the stitching is on this Hmong reverse appliqué. Truly a labor of love and appropriate I should post this on Labor Day.

This purse was made using upcycled denim jeans.

I added a slip pocket on the back.

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